


No Man Is An Island (Unfortunately)

by Shachaai



Series: APH Olympics [13]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Gen, Rio 2016 Summer Olympics
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-30
Updated: 2019-07-30
Packaged: 2020-07-27 06:23:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,185
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20041351
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shachaai/pseuds/Shachaai
Summary: Denmark isanguishedNorway is the only Nordic Nation that isn’t staying in the same building as him in the Olympics Village. Much to Iceland’s woe, he gets dragged along on Denmark’s quest to express that anguish to Norway.





	No Man Is An Island (Unfortunately)

**Author's Note:**

> Crossposted from my tumblr. This was originally written at the time of the 2016 Olympics in Brazil.

Iceland would not go as far to say that he hates his life (there are many good things in it, like Coca-Cola, skyr, hot springs, puffins, whales, years when there aren’t volcanic eruptions, and new movies on TV), but, at times, he definitely regrets certain key parts of his existence. Mostly the parts that are shaped like a suspiciously friendly Finland, excited Denmark and just. Norway. All of Norway. _Sweden,_ Iceland can deal with - they’ve developed a neutral communication system consisting of a language of nods and the occasional monosyllable, no pressure whatsoever -, but _Finland_ had gotten worryingly _perky_ when Denmark had lounged around their shared building in the Olympic Village in Rio for one hour too many, loudly bemoaning the absence of Norway in their ‘tower of _cool_’. Finland had _smiled_ in a way that had had Iceland trying to shrink into the collar of his tracksuit top, and brightly -_ brightly!_ Like _snow blindness_ \- suggested that Denmark go and _visit _Norway if he missed him so much, and… Iceland really didn’t think Denmark had cottoned on to the fact Finland was threatening to eviscerate him and send his entrails to Norway to use for potions ingredients if he didn’t take his living body immediately out of Finland’s sight and hearing? But Denmark had leapt on the suggestion like a puppy tossed a new squeaky toy anyway - and taken Iceland’s slinking away from Finland’s pleasant wrath to mean that Iceland wanted to join him seeing Norway. Well across the Olympic Village.

Which Iceland did _not._

With his usual steamroller technique, Denmark hauls Iceland out of their building and across to see Norway. Norway probably hears them coming - Denmark nearly runs over Albania, Georgia, three Saudi Arabians and a whole group of confused Tanzanians on the way -, which makes it something of a miracle they’re even allowed into the building that he’s sharing with Austria and Cameroon (among others), never mind actually Norway opening his apartment door when Denmark hammers on it and letting them both inside.

…Well. Letting _Denmark_ inside. Iceland is allowed immediate entry with a nod from Norway and something that could almost be a smile, but Denmark has to apologise three times first for almost punching Norway in the head because Denmark had kept knocking even after Norway had abruptly opened the door.

Iceland gets given a glass of water with fresh ice-cubes. Denmark politely shuffles his feet and apologises twice more before Norway stops staring coolly at him. Iceland immediately escapes with his water out of the open door onto Norway’s balcony, studiously concentrating on the noises coming from the people passing by on the ground below and the piano music drifting from the Austrian apartments directly above Norway’s rather than listening to whatever conversation Denmark is attempting to initiate in the room behind Iceland.

…It’s actually pretty peaceful out on the balcony, although the new view of the Olympic Village actually does make Iceland pause for a moment, wondering if there had been _something_ in Denmark’s protests about Norway not being in ‘the Nordic tower’ with the rest of them. Past Canada’s building might as well be the edge of the map; _this_ end of the Village seems to be full of Nations from Africa and the Middle East, with Austria and Norway stuck on as an afterthought. Just squinting over the balcony railing Iceland thinks he can see a huge bunch of Cameroon’s neighbours, _with_ Cameroon, heading off down the main path with a football tossed between them: Nigeria, Chad, the Central African Republic, Equatorial Guinea, Gabon, the Republic of the Congo (or is that the Congo? Iceland… doesn’t really have much to do with most of Africa, and whichever Nation it is has his back to Norway’s building and is getting smaller and more distant by the second). Human athletes from Qatar and the UAE just plain look _cold_ coming out of their building - it feels like a really nice spring day to Iceland, but they probably feel like they’re freezing to death - and some men from… Oman? Noman? Yemen? _One of the ones with ‘man’ or ‘men’ in it_, have found a gigantic scarf in the Brazilian colours, draping it around four of their necks and blocking the whole path as they shuffle along, trying to not choke each other.

…At least it means some _different_ Nations than usual get to be bothered by Austria letting out his emotions using classical music as a medium, but it has to be a little lonely for Norway. Who else around him is going to understand his terrifying need for black coffee, butter, and codfish? Iceland sees the guy (fairly) regularly, and even he doesn’t understand the obsession.

Behind Iceland, Denmark’s voice is rising in volume. “Aren’t you pining for us?” (Iceland has always been a little bewildered by Denmark’s tendency to fit the ‘wilting princess in a tower in need of rescue’ trope to Norway. He doesn’t know _why_ Denmark does it - but knows he’d just get nonsense or diversion tactics if he asked Denmark, and he can’t think of a way to put the question to Norway that won’t a) get Denmark murdered, and/or b) lead to a great deal of very uncomfortable _bonding_ time.) “You don’t need to pine, we -”

“I was enjoying the peace and quiet, actually,” says Norway.

“You could _visit _sometime.” Denmark has gone all hurt puppy reproachful again, and Iceland can hear Norway sigh. _“Icey_ over there has been missing you.”

Indignant and embarrassed, Iceland jerks part of the way around, his arm - and his glass - hitting the balcony railing with a worrying_ clack._ “I have not!”

Sitting on his sofa, Norway is studying him. Iceland baulks a little at the attention the moment he sees it; Norway has his _thoughtful_ expression on, and nothing good comes of Norway’s thoughtful expression. “…‘Haps after dinner.”

_“That’s_ the spirit!” Denmark cheers, and throws up his hands. Since he’s sitting on the sofa beside Norway, he almost hits Norway in the head. Again. (Thoughtful expression or not, Iceland suddenly wonders if he might have been better off asking to stay with _Norway_ in Rio. it might be less physically damaging.) “Family should stick together!”

Iceland can feel his cheeks colour. “I have _not_ been missing him -”

_“Whatever_ you are doing,” calls a sharp and somewhat snooty voice from above Iceland’s head, drifting down from one of the balconies above. _Austria._ Iceland hadn’t even noticed the piano music stopping, but its silence now glares at them all, “perhaps you could do it more _quietly?_ I am _trying_ to compose.”

“Uh.” Iceland puts his glass down on the floor and leans over the balcony’s railing, craning his head upwards to try see if he can spot Austria. He can’t. “Sorry?”

There is a _sniff _from above, the _slam_ of a balcony door, and the piano music resumes again, now muffled.

“…An’ to think,” says Denmark, and Iceland peers over his own shoulder curiously to find Denmark grinning at Norway again, Norway’s _sigh_ seen in the slope of his shoulders down, “you traded Fin’s death metal for _that.” _


End file.
